State Panel May Subpoena Silver in Inquiry

By MICHAEL COOPER

Published: June 15, 2004

ALBANY, June 14—
The state lobbying commission is weighing the unusual step of issuing a subpoena to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as part of its inquiry into whether a casino company broke any rules two years ago by giving him a luxury suite at one of its Las Vegas hotels at a discounted rate, a state official said Monday.

The commission is investigating whether Caesars Entertainment Inc. violated the state's $75 limit on gifts from lobbyists in 2002 by giving Mr. Silver and his wife a VI.P. hotel suite for $109 a night. The company sometimes rents the room for four times that amount or more. Caesars was actively lobbying to expand into New York State at the time.

As part of its inquiry, the lobbying commission issued three subpoenas to Caesars to find out whether other lawmakers were given discounted stays at its hotels, said Robert Stewart, a spokesman for Caesars.

He said that Caesars had not furnished the information, arguing that the subpoenas were overly broad and irrelevant to the current inquiry and that they would make it difficult for the company to protect the privacy of its guests.

Now, the lobbying commission is considering issuing a subpoena to Mr. Silver. A state official and a person familiar with the matter said the commission wrote to the state attorney general's office last week seeking a legal opinion on whether it could subpoena Mr. Silver.

Such a step would be highly unusual for a commission that usually queries companies and lobbyists, not elected officials.

The commission, which is often seen here as the only aggressive ethics agency in Albany, is fighting legal challenges to its powers by lobbyists and others and a loss of support from some top state politicians.

Kris Thompson, a spokesman for the commission, declined to comment on the case. So did Charles R. Carrier, a spokesman for Mr. Silver.

When news of the inquiry broke in March, Mr. Silver staunchly defended his integrity. Within days, the lobbying commission moved to silence its normally outspoken executive director, David M. Grandeau.